When it looked to redesign its dominant operating system after the struggles of Windows Vista, Microsoft reportedly turned to Apple's Mac OS X for the "look and feel" of Windows 7.

Simon Aldous, partner group manager with Microsoft, told PCR that the graphical style of Windows 7 -- which he calls "Vista on steroids" -- was inspired by the look of Apple's Mac OS X. The new Windows operating system launched in October.

"One of the things that people say an awful lot about the Apple Mac is that the OS is fantastic, that it's very graphical and easy to use," Aldous said. "What weve tried to do with Windows 7 -- whether it's traditional format or in a touch format -- is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics. We've significantly improved the graphical user interface, but it's built on that very stable core Vista technology, which is far more stable than the current Mac platform, for instance."

One of the more obvious similarities between Windows 7 and Mac OS X is the new taskbar. By default, the Windows 7 taskbar acts much like the dock that has been in OS X, combining program applications for both launching and accessing open windows, with only one icon per running application. And like Expose with the OS X dock, Windows 7 allows users to glimpse open windows on the taskbar before selecting them with Aero Peek.

The similarities between Windows 7 and Apple's latest operating system upgrade, Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard, were noted by The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg in his review of the Microsoft software. He said he believes that the Mac OS is still the superior operating system, but only slightly.

Snow Leopard had a head-start on Windows 7, launching in late August to positive reviews that praised the software's performance improvements and bargain $29 price. Consumers also responded positively to Mac OS X 10.6, with initial sales doubling that of its predecessor, Leopard, and coming in four times higher than Tiger.

One detail where Microsoft actually ended being better than the original are jump lists as contrary to the OS X pendant they also work when the application is not running. I usually use them to start an application with a specific recently used document which saves a few clicks. People are also set in their ways as I've experienced two installations by different people where the new task bar was reconfigured to work as closely as the old one did despite the OS X inspired design being far superior imo.

Another detail which I wouldn't mind Apple porting over to 10.7 is that on Windows 7 there's a visual indicator that multiple windows have been collapsed into the icon. On OS X currently you pretty much have to remember it and having to press the mouse button for some time to make them visible in Expose is not as elegant as selecting them directly in the Aero previews with just hovering over the taskbar icon.

I've experienced both kernel panics on 10.6 as well as total freezes on Windows 7 so from my subjective point of view they are both equally guilty. Microsoft in fact *does* have the more modern graphic stack with drivers running in user space which allows for recoverable driver crashes, updating without reboot and switching graphic cards without logging out first (which I really expected to make a debut in 10.6 which it didn't to my disappointment).

He just admitted the competition is "fantastic." I don't know about you, but he just did Apple's marketing for them. And he was asked about Windows 7, not Apple. If that weren't bad enough, he also admitted that they tried to "create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics."

Double-whammy. He basically admitted that MS are ripoff artists. Way to feed in to the classic MS stereotypes, which apparently have been true all along.

It seems that every time an MS employee speaks (especially Ballmer - the CEO, even more scary), they make Apple look great. Even the Laptop Hunter ads admitted subtly that Macs were the most desirable product.

"What we’ve tried to do with Windows 7 -- whether it's traditional format or in a touch format -- is create a Mac look and feel in terms of graphics."

So then WTH is the point of Windows 7 when you can get the Real Thing with a Mac??

Another detail which I wouldn't mind Apple porting over to 10.7 is that on Windows 7 there's a visual indicator that multiple windows have been collapsed into the icon. On OS X currently you pretty much have to remember it and having to press the mouse button for some time to make them visible in Expose is not as elegant as selecting them directly in the Aero previews with just hovering over the taskbar icon.

Yeah, that's good. I also LOVE the thing MS has shown in the ads where you drag a window (not sure if it relates to all apps or just a web browser) out to the side - the cursor needs to go off the screen - and then let go, and the app snaps back to occupy exactly half the screen. Do that with two windows, one in each direction and you have a very useful set up for comparing docs.

Actually if you read what he was saying he was trying to point out that while Windows 7 has the look of OSX its far more stable. However if you have used Windows 7 you would know it actually doesn't look like OSX at all. It has far more of a Linux look.

yeah it does remind me of ubuntu or something. there are actually a couple little UI things i think they've done better than osx in win 7.

Yeah, that's good. I also LOVE the thing MS has shown in the ads where you drag a window (not sure if it relates to all apps or just a web browser) out to the side - the cursor needs to go off the screen - and then let go, and the app snaps back to occupy exactly half the screen. Do that with two windows, one in each direction and you have a very useful set up for comparing docs.

You can still do it manually on any OS. Personally I find Spaces to be one of the most useful features.

Yeah, that's good. I also LOVE the thing MS has shown in the ads where you drag a window (not sure if it relates to all apps or just a web browser) out to the side - the cursor needs to go off the screen - and then let go, and the app snaps back to occupy exactly half the screen. Do that with two windows, one in each direction and you have a very useful set up for comparing docs.

Hilarious that he says that 7 is based on the "very stable" Vista core. Especially since I just saw a TV Commercial today where a girl in cafe using a PC laptop with Window 7 says that Windows 7 was her idea because she was having nightmares about her Vista PC crashing and freezing. So she suggested to Microsoft, "hey... why not make an OS that doesn't freeze and crash".

Actually if you read what he was saying he was trying to point out that while Windows 7 has the look of OSX its far more stable. However if you have used Windows 7 you would know it actually doesn't look like OSX at all. It has far more of a Linux look.

He realized partway through that he might just have been a little too honest for an MS emnployee, and then added:

Weve significantly improved the graphical user interface, but its built on that very stable core Vista technology, which is far more stable than the current Mac platform, for instance.

If he had any presence of mind to begin with, he would never have even mentioned Apple.

It looks more like Linux? Super. Except Gomer Pyle there said it looks more like OS X. What difference does it make what *you* think it looks like, when he, representing MS, just announced publcily that it looks lke OS X and that MS ripped off Apple.

"improved the graphical user interface, but it's built on that very stable core Vista technology, which is far more stable than the current Mac platform"

The first quote does not contradict this quote therefore there no reason to quote the whole statement or the whole interview. Furthermore, the first statement sounded more like a survey or a research findings and the second was more of an opinion.

If he had any presence of mind to begin with, he would never have even mentioned Apple.

It looks more like Linux? Super. Except Gomer Pyle there said it looks more like OS X. What difference does it make what *you* think it looks like, when he, representing MS, just announced publcily that it looks lke OS X and that MS ripped off Apple.

The first quote does not contradict this quote therefore there no reason to quote the whole statement or the whole interview. Furthermore, the in the first statement sounded more like a survey or a research findings and in the second he was stating an opinion.

It matters not, what some guy at Microsoft says about Apple or anything else. Some people would have you believe that comments from managers at Microsoft would have some influence, but they have zero influence really.

Both Windows 7 and OS X are very good pieces of software. But one big thing MS lacks and that they will never really have is the total computing experience. Apple builds the hardware, the operating system and many of the applications for a total user experience.

When one compares apples to apples (no pun intended), on balance, Apple comes out ahead. Yes, even with price considerations which are mostly fabricated. True, Apples does not play in the $400 PC market, but they don't have to. But Apple has sold millions of devices at the $400 price point, just not a PC.

The market shows the truth here ... Apple is firing on all cylinders and is focused. MS on the other hand seems to have been distracted for years and several cylinders have misfired.

I am very happy with my Apple experience, having switched 2 years ago from Wintel PCs. OS X has been incredibly stable compared to my Windows experience. Installing software is a complete breeze compared to MS installations; just one of many areas where Apple excels.

I just got back - I had an extremely difficult problem to solve at the office.
Here we go again - yet another thread of MS bashing and for what reason? Why don't you leave them be as they don't compete in the "premium" market anyway which Apple owns. Do they? WE all know Apple's never gonna crush them- right?